Meet Saara, 36, a florist and gardener turned flower farmer. She now owns and grows her own cut flower farm called Pieni Kukkafarmi (the Little Flower Farm) with her mother-in-law Johanna in Kuortane, Finland. Never could she have dreamt that a small family business and flower farm would be her path but now thinking back this was meant to be for her.
It all started in high school when Saara was doing her job trainee in a local flower shop in the city of Tampere. She got so excited and inspired by the world that flowers can offer that she knew right then and there that she was meant to work with flowers.
At the age 15 Saara went to study to be a gardener in a vocational school in Huittinen. She lived in the campus and was wanting to know more about floral design. At that time the only way a young inspired person would get to work in floral design in Finland would be that she/he had to pass through floristry school. So that was next in line for Saara.
She studied floristry and got her degree in Livia with the help of an apprenticeship. By her twenties she was already working full time in one of the biggest flower shops in Tampere.
After fifteen years (and two kids!) Saara felt that it was time for something new. Something more of her own, more close to her own values and lifestyle. In 2019 Saara and her spouse rented a small cottage on the countryside next to the small field which his parents owned and the idea of a flower farm grew. She found the best partner to that; her mother-in-law was studying to be a gardener too and Saara had their summer cottage next to this empty field. So then Saara and Johanna taught that why not try to grow cut flowers in the quadrangle part of Finland. It was risky but worth it. They established their family run Pieni Kukkafarmi on 2019.
One of the most biggest inspirations for Saara has been The Floret Flower Farm and Erin Benzakein. Her books, e-courses and seeds gave Saara and Johanna the knowhow and the fire to start their own farm.
2019 when the Pieni Kukkafarmi was estabished the world was ready – locally grown flowers were only a dream in Finland but a very trending dream. Saara and Johanna and their flower farm were in the right place at the right time. They were one of the first small business cut flower farmers in Finland and their flower farm grew into success. They stand loyal to their sustainable values and for example use fertilizers from their own livestock farm and prefer only domestic and local partnerships.
Today they have a 1o acres field filled more than 40 different varieties of cut flowers. They work from July to September day and night to water, cut and trim their flowers to their customers. At the moment they only work as a bespoke flower shop and host their own workshops in the field or near-by café. During winter time they host different kind of wreath sessions and workshops and during the spring they do the pre-sowing and sowing in the field. So although the growing and cutting time of the flowers is only few months it takes a whole year to keep things rolling.
Saara and her team shares a lot of useful information about flower farming in Finland! Go to www.pienikukkafarmi.fi to read their blog and follow them and thei useful daily tips on Instagram @pieni_kukkafarmi.